What's Inside?

The Story

The cast of The Big Reading Show is ready for you! Six amazing characters have been busy practicing their lines, painting the sets, and brushing feathers off of their costumes. From “Explorer Day” to “Magic Wish Day,” the scripts are ready, and the orchestra is tuned up. So get ready to download the app and enjoy an amazing installment of . . . Wait! Some of the letters are out of order. One of the words fell down. Lou sat on O, now it looks like a U. Denzel tipped over an M. Now it looks like a W. Mimi has a Z stuck to the bottom of her foot. The Big Reading Show needs help right now, and we are really glad YOU are here!

Ella and Lou

Ella and Lou are best friends and polar opposites.

About Ella and Lou

Ella is excited. Lou is calm. Ella is a tiny bird. Lou is a big rhinoceros. Lou explains things patiently. Ella interrupts. Ella announces what needs to be done. Lou does the work. Lou likes to sit and read. Ella likes to stand on Lou’s head and ask about what he’s reading. There’s really only one thing they can agree on: It’s great to have a kid like YOU in The Big Reading Show!

Name:

Ella

Lou

Species:

Parrot

Rhinoceros

Qualities:

Cheerful, nosy, proud, mischievous

Patient, droll, supportive

Favorite Activities:

Travelling, graffiti, interrupting

Reading, knitting, stamp collecting

Favorite Quote:

“We did it!” (when she did nothing and really Lou did all the work)

“Anything you say, Ella.”

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Denzel

Denzel is having a blast.

About Denzel

Denzel is so excited to be part of The Big Reading Show. He can’t wait to see you there! He has stories to read with you, games to play, letters to tell you about—Hey, look! A penny!—words to write in the sky, and he even has some poems to share with you, too.

To prepare for his role as The Big Reading Show’s official “spokes-alligator,” he has memorized every classic fairy tale and learned how to shape his body into each letter of the alphabet. You asked him to do that, didn’t you? Well, that’s not important. Because you are about to hear some amazing stories and see some fantastic letters!

Species:

Alligator

Qualities:

Enthusiastic, impulsive, reckless

Favorite Activities:

Racing, playing his electric guitar, storytelling

Favorite Quote:

“What? Where?! Cool!”

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Zweeble

Zweeble is under pressure!

About Zweeble

Zweeble’s job is to make sure that The Big Reading Show goes off without a hitch. He takes his job very seriously. Even when things appear to be running smoothly, Zweeble knows that the show is just one bent paper clip away from disaster.

That’s why he’s always sticking his neck into things. (It’s a good thing he’s a giraffe.) It’s also a good thing that you’ve arrived in time to help him save the show!

Species:

Subterranean reticulated giraffe

Qualities:

Conscientious, worried, punctual

Favorite Activities:

Learning everyone’s lines, organizing office supplies

Favorite Quote:

“It says here in the script . . . “

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Mimi

Mimi makes things happen.

About Mimi

Mimi is a particularly un-smart purple kiwi. She stumbles into letters, pushes words around, and even lays big Alphabet Eggs. It’s not really clear she knows what going on, let alone that she’s part of a show. And yet, she plays a major role in setting up many of the show’s letter games.

Mimi watches everyone else very closely. She makes a perfect subject for Leonard’s letter experiments… as do you!

Species:

Kiwi

Qualities:

Unsophisticated, confused, agreeable

Favorite Activities:

Pushing letters around, laying Alphabet Eggs

Favorite Quote:

“Eep,” “Wurkit,” and “Ba-ha!”

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Leonard

Leonard is studying letters, including Y-O-U.

About Leonard

Leonard is the world’s smartest lab rat. He spent years studying scientists and building experimental machines before he stumbled onto to his favorite subject: reading! He uses his universal remote control to conduct all kinds of reading experiments—which look a lot like letter games and puzzles.

Leonard is a rat of few words—zero words, actually. He lets his noisy, remote-controlled, mechanical lab apparatus do the talking.

Species:

Rat

Qualities:

Quiet, techno-savvy, well-read

Favorite Activities:

Testing out experiments on Mimi

Favorite Quote:

“Beep. Beep.” (from his remote control)

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What Does it Teach?

Hooked on Phonics’ Big Reading Show is a Foundational Reading program disguised as a musical variety show. Created by reading experts working alongside award-winning entertainers, The Big Reading Show makes learning to read fun and exciting with a loveable cast of characters in 13 episodes. Each episode is based on a favorite preschool topic, playing out in 3 Acts, featuring two alphabet letters, and focusing on important curriculum goals. Read on to see what kids will learn in each episode.

In EXPLORER DAY features the letters B and D. Curriculum goals include recognizing names in print, identifying uppercase letters, exploring first letter sounds of words, and matching rhyming words.

In EXPLORER DAY, Ella’s plan to dig in the desert to search for buried treasure turns up with some bizarre results.

BOOK DAY features the letters L and Q. Curriculum goals include tracing letter shapes, pairing uppercase with lowercase letters, exploring rhyming and discerning letters from shapes and numbers.

Zweeble and Leonard visit the library and help Denzel learn an important lesson in BOOK DAY.

OCEAN DAY features the letters M and W. Curriculum goals include building words from letters, identifying uppercase letters, exploring letter shapes, and first letter sounds.

A giraffe and an alligator scuba diving? Why not? You’ll witness that and more in OCEAN DAY.

BACKWARDS DAY features the letters A and Z. Curriculum goals include matching rhyming words, tracing letter shapes, matching upper and lowercase letters, and exploring vocabulary through first letter sounds.

Denzel and Lou explore the strangeness of being upside down and backwards in BACKWARDS DAY. What could this mean to the alphabet . . . and to the fabric of reality?!

JUNGLE DAY features the letters C and J. Curriculum goals include exploring storytelling and poems, combining letters to make words, discerning letters from shapes and numbers, and identifying uppercase letters.

Ella and Lou encounter eerie noises when they visit a rainforest in JUNGLE DAY. Could it be that our heroes are in grave danger, or could something else be afoot?

CASTLE DAY features the letters K and P. Curriculum goals include exploring first letters sounds, matching rhyming words, tracing uppercase letters, and exploring vocabulary and the alphabet.

In CASTLE DAY, Princess Ella discover that kissing a frog is not all it’s croaked up to be.

MAGIC WISH DAY features the letters R and U. Curriculum goals include matching uppercase and lowercase letters, assembling letters into words, playing with letter shapes, and exploring the short vowel sound of the letter U.

Ella’s and Denzel’s experiments with magic lead them to a puzzling predicament in MAGIC WISH DAY.

FOOD DAY features the letters G and O. Curriculum goals include identifying uppercase letters, exploring first letter sounds of words, playing with letter shapes, and exploring the short vowel sound of the letter O.

The cast of The Big Reading Show take you on a delectable tour that is sure to whet the reading appetites of even the pickiest eaters in FOOD DAY.

What better way to learn about reading than to get up and get moving in SPORTS DAY.

MUSIC DAY features the letters S and V. Curriculum goals include building words from letters, identifying uppercase letters, playing with letter shapes, and exploring the alphabet and vocabulary words through first letter sounds.

The cast of The Big Reading Show roll out the red carpet and show off their hidden musical talents on MUSIC DAY.

SURPRISE DAY features the letters I and N. Curriculum goals include matching rhyming words, tracing and playing with letter shapes, matching upper and lowercase letters, and exploring the short vowel sound of the letter I.

It’s SURPRISE DAY, and Ella has something planned for Lou. But what could it be? Lou isn’t sure whether he should be excited . . . or afraid.

PIRATE DAY features the letters T and X. Curriculum goals include discerning letters from shapes and numbers, assembling words from letters, exploring storytelling and vocabulary, and matching upper and lowercase letters.